The present invention relates to a telematic device for a motor vehicle. The term telematics, in particular traffic telematics, refers to systems that are used for communications, instrumentation and control, and information technology in the field of transportation. The control and display device described in German Patent No. 90 07 501 U1 can be regarded as a device of this type. In the case of this device, a navigation instrument is additionally built into the housing of a car radio, with navigation instructions being output on a display. A wireless telephone with a dialing keypad is connected to a communications port on this device, with the wireless telephone being positioned in a different location in the vehicle.
The many different types of communications equipment in use today in motor vehicles give rise to the problem that each device takes up a certain amount of space in the vehicle. The individual devices are frequently installed in the vehicle's trunk, which means that the full trunk capacity is no longer available. A further disadvantage is the fact that the individual devices must be connected via power supply lines and data or information lines. Aside from the many different types of lines needed, the devices also require a certain amount of additional assembly work, which can sometimes be quite complex. Because the vehicle power system is also subject to a great deal of radio interference due to the various control devices and power consumers, complicated interference suppression measures must additionally be provided for the individual pieces of communications equipment. Another problem is that each device has its own control logic, amplifier, input keys and displays, etc., making it difficult to use synergistic effects due to the inability to make multiple use of the individual components.